Building Pretty Little Things: Community, Growth and 12 Years of Success
Listen to the podcast:
In this insightful podcast episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Tracey, the owner of Pretty Little Things, a beloved boutique in the heart of downtown Deland, Florida. Tracey shares her inspiring journey of taking over the shop from a close friend, navigating the challenges of running a small business in a small town, and the strategies that have contributed to her remarkable 12-year success.
The Backstory:
Tracey’s path to owning Pretty Little Things was a serendipitous one. With a background in retail and criminal justice, she had always been drawn to the charm of small-town life and the thrill of entrepreneurship. When her friend, the original owner of Pretty Little Things, decided to step away from the business, Tracey saw an opportunity she couldn’t refuse. The transition was remarkably smooth, as they approached the handover with mutual respect and understanding.
Adapting to the Changing Landscape:
In the early years, Pretty Little Things focused on a mix of antiques, primitives, and vintage finds. However, as Tracey’s ownership progressed, she recognized the need to adapt to the evolving tastes and demands of her customers. She shared the importance of being open to change and not being afraid to pivot, even if it means moving away from the initial vision for the shop.
The Power of Relationships and Community Involvement:
Tracey’s secret to success lies in her unwavering commitment to building genuine relationships with her customers and the local community. She emphasizes the importance of being a resource, not just a retailer, and actively recommends other businesses and attractions in the area. This approach has fostered a loyal customer base that returns time and time again, not just for the products but for the experience.
Embracing Social Media and Authenticity:
Tracey’s social media presence, particularly on Instagram, has been a game-changer for her business. She shares that her approach is not about carefully curated content but rather about being authentic and engaging with her followers. By showcasing her personality, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, and connecting with her community, Tracey has cultivated a strong online following that translates into real-world sales and loyalty.
Advice for Aspiring Small Business Owners:
Drawing from her own experiences, Tracey offers invaluable advice for those considering opening a small business, especially a brick-and-mortar retail shop. She emphasizes the importance of being “all in” – mentally, physically, and emotionally – and understanding the realities of the day-to-day grind. She also encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace the power of community involvement and to use social media as a tool to connect with their audience in a genuine and relatable way.
Tracey’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, adaptability, and a deep commitment to community. Her journey at Pretty Little Things serves as an inspiration for small business owners, showcasing that with the right mindset and strategies, success can be achieved even in the face of the unique challenges that come with operating a business in a small town. By following Tracey’s lead and prioritizing relationships, authenticity, and a willingness to evolve, aspiring entrepreneurs can pave the way for their own thriving small businesses.
Connect with Tracey Word
Read the Transcript:
[Deanna Hinsz] (0:13 – 2:52)
Welcome to She is Unstoppable, the go-to podcast for every woman who’s ready to step up, stand out and thrive. I’m your host, Deanna Hinsz. Here on the show, we feature extraordinary women leaders and entrepreneurs.
These powerful guests share their journeys of breaking barriers, creating successful ventures and living lives that inspire. Each episode is packed with real stories and real advice for women who’ve done it. We also provide you with actionable tips and proven strategies to help you build your leadership skills, enhance your business and achieve your goals.
If you’re looking to take your professional and personal life to the next level, this is the place for you. Are you ready to make real changes? Ready to face challenges head on and turn them into stepping stones?
Then you belong with us. Join the community for fierce, unstoppable women. It’s time to get motivated, get inspired and get moving.
Let’s dive into today’s episode and unlock your unstoppable potential. Hey everybody, you are about to hear from a true small business rockstar, Tracey Word, the owner of Pretty Little Things in downtown Deland, Florida. She’s here sharing her inspiring story of entrepreneurship, community building and the power of authentic social media.
For over a decade, Tracey has navigated the ups and downs of running a brick and mortar shop in a small town and she’s come out stronger than ever. You’ll learn her secrets to creating an engaged customer base, leveraging social media without feeling inauthentic and how getting involved in your local community can take your business to new heights. Whether you’re a small business owner yourself or just someone who loves supporting local shops, you’re going to walk away from this conversation feeling motivated and ready to take your own entrepreneurial dreams to the next level.
So get ready to be inspired by Tracey’s passion, positivity and proven strategies for success. This is an episode you won’t want to miss. Tracey, I am so excited you said yes to coming on to this podcast with me.
Thank you so much. I’m so excited to talk to you. I mean, don’t get me wrong.
We talk all the time anyhow, but to have you on and to hear, you know, learn about Pretty Little Things, to hear about what you did, how you got there and not only how you grew your business, but how 12 years later you’re still in business and just how others can learn from you. So thank you for coming on today.
[Tracey Word] (2:53 – 2:53)
Anytime.
[Deanna Hinsz] (2:53 – 14:17)
Of course. Thanks so much for having me. This is so exciting.
It’s so much fun, isn’t it? It is. It is.
So I’m excited. I’m excited. So yeah.
Yeah. It’s exciting to be here. Awesome.
Awesome. So let’s just get started. And can you share a little bit about yourself and the story behind Pretty Little Things, how it came to be?
Sure. So, um, I, I, I would say my name is Tracey and, um, I’ve, uh, I’ve been in central Florida for 25 years now. So I have a retail background.
My degree is actually in criminal justice. And, um, so I worked for a Hallmark store as my fun job. I worked with victims of violent crime during the day and Hallmark was my fun job.
So I’ve been in retail and worked in retail since I was about 18 or 19 years old. And that was in Texas. And that was just my fun job.
It was a nice, fun relief, um, relief and breath of fresh air from working in this very serious job at a very young age too. And um, so when I moved to Florida, I was interviewing for jobs, investigating elder abuse, doing, um, case management for, uh, kids that were involved with Department of Juvenile Justice. So I got another serious job and I also worked at a Hallmark store part-time at night.
And um, after a couple of years, I ended up moving over to Tampa and managing a Hallmark store. So I just kind of kept growing in, um, I worked as a buyer for a Hallmark chain and then ended up managing a store and financially it was better. It behooved me more than working.
I mean, at that point in time, they were paying people like about $6 an hour to investigate claims of elder abuse working for the state of Florida. Yeah. It was in, and I, at that time was very young and I’m like, I don’t know, I’m not really sure if I want to do this.
So, um, yeah, so I was in the gift business and, um, moved over here for an opportunity for my, um, ex now ex-husband, uh, to buy a restaurant here in, uh, Volusia County. And, um, again, um, then was a stay at home mom for 10 years. So, um, I left retail and stayed home with my kids for 10 years.
Um, I went on a couple of buying trips with my mom who was in working for Hallmark, but I always just loved retail and I always loved shopping small. And um, so after about 10 years of being a stay at home mom, I knew I was kind of burning to do something more. I always said if I planned one more girl scout meeting, I was going to lose my mind.
I loved that time with my kids. I’m super grateful for it, but I just knew I, it was just, it was just time for me to do something different. Um, and my girlfriend, Jana had opened pretty little things.
She initially was going to open it at the corner of Woodland and Rich that ended up falling through. So she opened it at 113 North Woodland, her and her mom. And um, they were going to actually call it Persimmon Hollow.
I don’t know if a lot of people don’t know that. Oh, I didn’t know that. Interesting.
The shop, it was going to be something to do with Persimmon Hollow. This is way before the brewery opened and, um, because of course, you know, Deland was originally called Persimmon Hollow. Um, and I don’t know how they landed on the name, pretty little things, but, um, it has stuck, you know, even though it’s like the longest name ever to write out on stuff, but, uh, yeah, so Anna and her mom ran the shop and the shop was a little bit of a different nature than it is now.
It was more primitives, um, and a lot of antiques, a lot of interesting, a lot of antiques and a lot of vintage, a lot of primitives. And, um, I was shopping, I was a shopper there. Like I have items in my house that I purchased before I even owned the shop.
And Jana was a good friend of mine. Her daughter was actually in my Girl Scout troop and, um, I had said to her, like, if you ever don’t want to do this anymore, just let me know. And I remember one night my, um, ex-husband and I were sitting in the kitchen and it was like the stars aligned and she shot me a text and was like, Hey, do you want to talk about the shop?
Like I, I, I got some stuff moving on personally and her son was very young at the time and she, and she’s like, I want to talk to you about this. And it was just kind of an offer I couldn’t refuse. Like the stars aligned and the timing worked out perfectly and, um, yeah, it happened pretty quick.
So within like, I have this like nice lux life of being the stay at home mom and total autonomy, total freedom. And then let’s go buy a shop in historic downtown to land. I know.
Right. That’s a completely different ship and how you’re spending your time. So I’m curious when you said to her, when you first told her, Hey, if you’re ever interested in selling the shop, let me know, did you really think that she might be interested in selling the shop at some point or were you just like, Hey, at that time we were actually looking around downtown to land.
Like since I was a kid, I’ve always loved historic houses, historic downtowns, small downtowns, gift shops. I’ve always loved that. Um, and I was living in like Helen in a historic house.
So we always loved downtown to land. I’ve always loved old, crusty, dusty buildings and the old architecture. Um, so it was kind of, so we were actually looking at the space that for someone to follow ended up going into, we were kind of looking, we were about that space of doing kind of like an adjectives market, which, yeah, Oh, thank God that did not work out, you know, but we were kind of looking and it was just kind of one of those things when you just kind of throw mud on the wall and see what sticks, you know? I mean, uh, so yeah, when I said it to her, I, of course probably never thought it would go to fruition, but it was like the perfect size, you know, it, what it was manageable. Like I managed a million dollar big, high, high volume Hallmark stores in big, high volume malls.
So this was like, Oh my gosh, what a, you know, and so I, you know, it was kind of in just and in truth. And then, you know, I was the first person she thought of when she’s like, I don’t know if I can do this anymore. You know?
Wow. So, so you jump right in. Right.
And what was that like when purchasing, cause you were friends with her and you know, we hear sometimes like don’t do business with friends and relatives, right? Because it could damage the relationship. So how did you guys do the negotiation and that whole transfer?
Was it pretty seamless or were there some points where you were like, Oh, I’ve got to have a tough conversation about something. You know, I didn’t know what I didn’t know, which was probably a good thing. So my, we were in the, we owned restaurants and so I was very, we were very comfortable in that space.
We already had an attorney, we had a CPA, we had those kinds of things. We were familiar with S Corp LLC, that type of stuff. So it was very, very simple.
It was pretty much like, all right, take everything as is. You own it all. She did not own the building.
I took over the lease. The owner of the building was like, Hey, if Jana vouches for you, I trust her. So cool.
We’re in. I mean, it was very seamless. It sounds so easy.
It was, it sounded very easy, but you know, I wasn’t getting nitpicky, neither was she, you know, even after she left, I’m like, Hey, do you want these things here? Like I, like it was just very easy, you know? And and she was done, you know, she had kind of turned that page and she was ready to be done, you know, and yeah, but it was, um, and I, and I knew I could have always reached out to her and asked questions, concerns, issues, and it really, it’s just, yeah.
That’s awesome. It just worked out perfectly. You know, but that, that’s so good to hear because it could be really challenging when you’re purchasing a business from somebody, you know, and like, yeah, because you know, you guys, you said you didn’t nitpick, which is really, really good because sometimes it’s hard, especially when it’s your baby and you started it from her standpoint.
I could see where she might be like, Oh, there’s some things, you know, that meant to her because she poured everything into it. Now, when you first took it over, did you know you were going to get away from the antiques and primitives? Well, I learned, uh, so that was business year, probably I would say one through three, four.
I kind of was still trying to figure out my rhythm, like, you know, you try to be everything to everyone, you know, and there’s only so much space and there’s only so much time. And you know, I, when I was a buyer for a bigger shop, I had a great, I had endless budget and, you know, but so, and this is still, this, this is, this is also a different to land. You know, this was also still, you know, 10 years ago, we don’t have the foot traffic that we have.
And you’re literally watching every penny, every nickel, every dime, because summer was literally the dog days of summer. You can go outside, open the door, look up and down the boulevard and tumbleweeds could be blowing down the street. I mean, summer in the land was brutal.
I mean, summer is still soft for us, but it is definitely come a long way for sure. Um, I, I, I, because I’m a lover myself of antiques and primitives, um, I did continue to carry several of the lines that she carried. And then I just started opening it up a little bit more.
She did a lot of, like I said, jewelry and primitives. Um, and I would be able to, I had the time, um, to go do antiquing and bring in a lot of vintage and stuff. But then honestly, the, my kids were at that point like 10 and nine, and then I just didn’t have the time.
I didn’t have the time to do the antiquing. I still will go out to running girls and that kind of stuff and bring in stuff. But I, it, I, it really was a matter of time.
And then to you, which is something that retailers often fall into the trap of. You have to buy what sells, not necessarily just what you like. You know, like I carried simply Southern in the shop for years and years and years.
You’ve never seen me wear a simply Southern. I can’t even imagine you know, something like that color palette. No, it’s not.
Every year I would look at the numbers and be like, is this the year we’re done with it? And I’d be looking at the numbers. I’m like, dang it.
I sell the heck out of it, you know? So, so, so you, so that’s where I think you fall into the trap of only carrying the stuff that you love versus the stuff that sells. You got to have find that happy medium.
And after 10 years I have found that happy medium, you know, but I’ve, I’ve tried a lot of lines that I thought would be, Oh gangbusters, this is going to be a rent payer right here. You bring it in and you’re just dusting it, you know, you know, so, but yeah, I have kept and it’s an interesting, I’m kind of at a weird crossroads right now because it’s pretty little things and under my logo says vintage fashion home and I’m very light on vintage at this point. I, you know, I don’t carry it like I used to.
So I feel like I really need to do a shift, like a branding shift to more of a gift. And I’m known for my Florida to land local stuff, you know, so I, I’m kind of at that, like the wheels are turning right now, you know. That’s interesting that you recognize that you’re like, wait a minute, I’m not really fitting when I say that my brand was what it started off and what I continue doing for several years.
But now 12 years later, it just isn’t, isn’t there. So, so that’s really cool that you need to, that you are looking at that and saying, okay, what do I need to tweak and change? So being in business for as long as you’ve been in business in a small town, right?
[Tracey Word] (14:17 – 14:18)
Yes.
[Deanna Hinsz] (14:18 – 16:06)
Like you said, the foot track of half has increased, but a small town, it can be challenging. Like you just shared in the beginning. So what, what do you contribute your success to for being around as long as I’m sure you’ve seen businesses come and go in the 12 years you’ve been downtown.
So what, what makes you different? Like what, what has helped you there? I always say like, and every time I hire a new employee, I always say, we don’t sell, we don’t sell in the shop.
We’re here to build a relationship, you know, and like, I, I literally on the daily basis recommend local things to do local things to see. I don’t put pressure sales on people. I don’t do that.
Like, and people will say, oh, and I, and you can come in and chat and leave and not feel bad that you didn’t buy anything. But so, but I’m there to build the relationship, to teach people about the town, teach people about our area, because I feel, and I’ve said it a million times, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. And I don’t even know if I’m even saying that right or that saying, right.
But I feel like if you don’t buy something for me, but we had a great chat, you had a good time and you go next door to pin up parlor and you buy a dress and then you go down to Berryville and get some yogurt and then go have dinner at Dela Vega. Like that’s. And then next time you come, cause you had such a great time into land.
You do buy a sticker for me and then you buy a candle and then you come back next month and buy a candle. It always, it’s cyclical and I’ll get people that’ll be like, Hey, we’ve been snowbirds in every year. Your shop is our first one we come to, they literally come once a year because I built that relationship.
And I’m always like, tell me again, because of course I don’t remember anything because I see people all the time and they’ll say, Oh, you know, we’re the ones that come down from Virginia beach and we drive a Volkswagen van or whatever it is. And I’m like, Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. So then we, you know, so I feel it’s about building that relationship a hundred percent, a hundred percent.
I love that.
[Tracey Word] (16:06 – 16:07)
Yeah.
[Deanna Hinsz] (16:07 – 18:01)
Yeah. And, and one other like tip that we did back in my old, old, old Hallmark days is we have a customer request notebook and you know, I love paper and I still have a paper calendar. We literally have this, I didn’t do this on purpose.
We have a customer request notebook and Brandy or the girls are right down customers looking for the juicy apple candle, text them when it comes back in and we use that customer request notebook all the time. You’re kidding me. I didn’t know that.
All the time. Yeah. So it’s like, if you’re looking for that mug and I’ll say, Oh no, we’re never going to get that one in again, you know, but we’ll be getting, you know, the stuff that we regularly carry.
Oh yeah. I probably text one to two customers a day letting them know, Oh, by the way, we just got more bourbon and bow ties in. I know you were looking for green.
We got the green ones in. So customer service goes such a long way. It does such a long way.
And I love that you are sharing that and I watch you on Instagram and you do reels all the time and you do, you talk about the land, you talk about other businesses, you talk about what to do, not even just to land, you venture out into other areas, but to land is where your business is and that’s where you’re put a lot of energy. So how important is your social media for your business right now? I mean, I know you, you’re always telling me about that email list and that’s been on my list every year, but I am always knock on wood.
So nervous if my social media went down, but I feel like I have built a really good base and rapport with my customer base, but if social media got, I mean, I hear a dozen times a day I’ll say, Oh yeah, well we just got those hats in and they’ll say, Oh yeah, I saw it on your social media. Oh yeah. I saw that on Instagram.
I can’t tell you how many times a man has walked in with a screenshot that his wife sent and was like, Hey, go pick this up and he’s wandering around the shop looking for it. So it is, you know, my website’s terrible. I don’t sell online.
[Tracey Word] (18:03 – 18:05)
I wasn’t going to go there.
[Deanna Hinsz] (18:06 – 18:07)
I’ll own it.
[Tracey Word] (18:07 – 18:08)
I’ll own it.
[Deanna Hinsz] (18:08 – 20:14)
But, um, so the Instagram and sometimes I even get out, I forget to myself, like Tracey, you have a shop. You actually have to sell some products. You can’t just be out lollygagging around talking about this park.
You actually have to sell some stuff, you know? But I think, um, like I said, it, it behooves all of us to let people know the things that we have here in town and the things, you know, so if it’s social media is, is, I feel like more almost more of a full time job than me being in the shop, you know, it is, it is, it is. It’s a, yeah.
You do an excellent job with it. You do a really, really good job with it and you know, they’re fun to watch. They’re really fun videos.
I feel like I get like a peek inside, not just your business life, but your personal life because you share so many different things that I can understand why people feel like they know you. They do. You know, it just goes hand in hand with the way you build relationships.
Like you build them on social and then you carry it through in the shop on one on one. Well, and what you see is what you got. Like this is me.
Like I, you know, and like you’ve heard me say inappropriate things, like in a meeting where you, I mean like this is, this is, that’s me. You know what I mean? Like you’re not going to see like this social media persona and then meet me in person and be like, I don’t even recognize her.
Like this is who I am, you know? And I was, you know, like, but you know, obviously, you know, I’m on the mainstream floor, like I was a little apprehensive several years ago because it was very starchy and, you know, professional and suit and tie and Waylon Neese was a huge, like inspiration. I’m like, well, if Waylon can do this, I can do this, you know, and it’s like, you know, And for those of you that don’t know Waylon, Waylon is a very free spirit.
He’s a great guy. He is really in the community big time and he loves our community and he gets involved and he does really amazing things, but he is a free spirit. He wears whatever he wants to wear, whether you like it or don’t like it, he doesn’t care.
And he’s, he’s just a great guy. We both serve on the board with him and I think we both really like him a lot.
[Tracey Word] (20:14 – 20:15)
But yeah, that’s funny.
[Deanna Hinsz] (20:15 – 20:22)
Does he know that he inspired you to just, you know, I’m not sure. I’m not sure. I will have to tell him that will be on my heart to share that with him.
[Tracey Word] (20:22 – 20:23)
Yeah.
[Deanna Hinsz] (20:23 – 22:38)
We may have to take a clip from this podcast and tag him in it. Let him hear you. Yes.
Yes. Cause the first couple, you know, I’ve been a first on the board. I was like, oh my gosh, like I don’t own business suits.
Like I used to work in the court system. I had all of the business suits and I, that was part of the appeal of being, you know, so, um, but yeah, no, it’s, it is. That is funny.
So you do a really good job with social media, as I was saying with, with your Instagram. And if there’s somebody who owns a small business, you’re welcome. There’s somebody listening who owns a small business.
What tips can you give them for creating engaging video content? Like cause you do such a good job. Oh, thank you.
So I mean, I know you might be, you might be mad at me on this one. I don’t know. I’m not going to be mad at you for anything.
I don’t plan content and I don’t batch content. I just don’t. And so sometimes like I, like, okay, this is this planet.
Like yesterday I got in a big shipment of handmade soaps. Very popular. One of our top five bestsellers.
So as I’m leaving, I’m taking pictures in my mind. My plan was I would, I will post, I will pick my pictures like the day ahead, but I don’t do a social media plan. I don’t plan because the nature of my shop is also, I always am getting in new merchandise.
So I would call it a blessing and a curse. Like when I get a new stuff, I’m always posting new. A lot of times I do forget to go back and post the classics that I always have in the shop.
I’m always posting new line, new this, new that. So I would say to anyone starting out, just start posting. Like everyone, if I hear one, I’ve heard it a million times, I don’t like social media.
I don’t like social media. Like you don’t have an option in 2024 to not like social media. Like you’re on social media as a fan of it.
You’re watching Instagram, you’re watching tech talks, you’re doing it, you’re feeding other people’s algorithm and you own a business and you’re not doing it yourself, you know? So yeah, so I would say a, just do it. And then B put yourself in front of the camera.
Like you feel awkward and uncomfortable, but Hey, that’s what filters are for, you know what I mean? Yeah. I don’t think anybody really notices.
Like you are like, Oh, that’s really awkward. But people just enjoy the content.
[Tracey Word] (22:39 – 22:39)
Yeah.
[Deanna Hinsz] (22:39 – 22:45)
They just enjoy being real. And I almost feel like when it’s not polished, it’s better.
[Tracey Word] (22:45 – 22:49)
Oh my gosh. Yeah. Right.
Like we appreciate you more.
[Deanna Hinsz] (22:49 – 22:55)
We connect with you more because it’s like, Oh, wait a minute. You’re relatable now. You’re not perfect.
Like, yeah.
[Tracey Word] (22:55 – 22:56)
Yeah.
[Deanna Hinsz] (22:56 – 25:12)
Well, and I don’t know how you feel about it. We haven’t even chatted about it, but I’m just replicating tech talk trends. I’m not a fan.
I don’t do it. And like, I, and I, because I feel like it’s stolen, stolen valor. I feel like you’re literally someone came up with a really funny bit and you’re either using their voice, using their voice, using their, you know, your lip syncing to their content.
You’re just copying exactly what they did. It would be like if I went and saw a window display somewhere, it just replicated it exactly to my shop. I just, I feel like it comes off.
I feel uncomfortable watching some of those videos, you know, and it’s like, I still don’t know you shop owner, business owner, you know, barista, I still don’t know you cause all you do is replicate what someone else is doing, you know? So yeah, I’m not, yeah. And I know they’re trending and it probably will get you a ton of lights, you know, it probably will get you with the, you know, which, you know, who cares?
Who cares if you get a ton of likes, people get so fixated on those vanity metrics. Like, oh, I get these likes. Like you want people to connect with you and you want them to buy your product.
And you know, that right now, if you’re just doing that other stuff, you’re just the entertainment. You’re not an option to purchase from. Yeah.
And I think people can watch my videos and they know, well, I’m an Elvis fan or, you know, I eat a healthy diet and I do some of these weird things. They learn these little nuances about me and they can connect to it because they’re a human too. You know, they can be like, oh my God, I didn’t realize she’s an Elvis fan.
My mom’s a huge Elvis fan, you know, so it is. But yeah, I, but for a show and you don’t even really know your voice until you start doing it. You know, you go on your social media path this way and you’re like, oh, look at this.
I love this backdrop or this ring light. I don’t have any of that stuff too, by the way. I don’t use a ring light.
I don’t have, I don’t have, yeah. You were asking me to take some pictures, like in a white box. I’m like, oh girl, you know, oh, you know.
All I wanted was a photo of you that was like every picture of you. You’re with somebody, you’ve got your thumbs up, you’re your seatbelts on. I’m like, can I just have a photo of just you so that I can use it on all this stuff with this podcast?
[Tracey Word] (25:13 – 25:14)
I know.
[Deanna Hinsz] (25:14 – 25:17)
And you give me great ones. You send some really good ones over. So okay.
[Tracey Word] (25:18 – 25:18)
Okay.
[Deanna Hinsz] (25:18 – 26:05)
Thumbs up. Right. Thumbs up.
But yeah. But I do think, yeah. I just think people are so afraid to start doing it, you know?
And oh, what if, what if it doesn’t look good or, oh, it’s a pain? Yes. Of course it’s a pain, you know, but what’s the alternative?
This is a way too, for us to be competitive. Like me personally, I don’t follow Target. I don’t follow Walmart, Publix.
I don’t follow big box companies, but I sure as heck follow you and I follow Miss Krabby Pants and I follow Boston Coffee. I don’t follow Starbucks or any, you know, this is our chance as a small business to have an opportunity. We can be competitive, you know, I mean, does the community follow Starbucks and they’re what they’re doing?
Or do they follow Boston? You know what I mean? Or Trilogy?
[Tracey Word] (26:05 – 26:05)
Yeah.
[Deanna Hinsz] (26:06 – 26:20)
You know, so. Definitely. That’s a great point.
Cause I didn’t realize it, but I don’t follow any of them either. And part of me wanted to, I remember at some point I wanted to just to see how they market to learn, not to consume the content, but to see the strategy behind that.
[Tracey Word] (26:20 – 26:21)
Sure.
[Deanna Hinsz] (26:22 – 26:48)
But I have, I’ve never really engaged, so I don’t even know if I still follow them, but I don’t see them and I don’t miss them. No. I know.
I know I follow Moe’s cause I love Moe’s and I always get Moe Monday. I might follow, I mean half a dozen, but really it’s minimal at best, you know, and yeah, but no. And I, and I do wish, um, you know, well that, that would be my little wish is, um, people just engage with the content more.
Like you’re watching it. Just say hi.
[Tracey Word] (26:48 – 26:49)
Yeah.
[Deanna Hinsz] (26:49 – 29:59)
Tracey, your hair looks good. I love Elvis too. Just say something.
You know, so I’ve been trying to, cause I also love social media and I love watching. I’m trying to be more deliberate with my commentary as well and giving those people their attaboys and attagirl and that looks great and super cool. Can’t wait to try it.
That kind of thing. And that’s so important. It goes two ways.
And I’m glad you just mentioned that because I think a big mistake people make sometimes is that they create content, they post the content and then they walk away and they don’t engage with anybody else, but they want everybody to engage with them. So I love that you just shared that you’re being more proactive. You’re being aware of what you want and you’re doing that for others because it’s so important.
Well, cause I know how many, I know you do the same. All of us do the same. You’ll be like, oh my gosh, that’s so cute.
Well how hard would it be to like it and just send a heart emoji or like it and be like, oh my gosh, that’s so cute. Like it’s not looking at it. Like tell them it’s cute, you know, so I just, I love it.
I’m trying to make a conscious effort of not to, whether they say post and ghost, also go back and reply, the good, the bad and the ugly, you know? Yes. Absolutely.
Yeah. So we mentioned Main Street a little bit cause we’re both on the board for Main Street of DeLand and, and which is great. We both love DeLand and the community and we love pouring into that community.
Do you feel like being involved in the community has played a role in your success with Pretty Little Things? I would say, yeah. I mean, do I think my fellow board members are beating down my door to buy from me?
Not necessarily. However, I think me being, A, it shows I’m committed to downtown. It shows that my shop is committed to being here, being active, you know, and I hate the B word where people are like, oh, I’m too busy to do that.
I’m like, well, who isn’t? Oh, I’m too busy. I’m too busy.
Oh really? Not me. Not me.
You know, I got two kids. I got a house. I’m a single mom.
You know what I mean? I got all these things too, you know. But I do think it is important.
And I think too, it’s important to, especially as a merchant, you know, we were very, hi Morgan, we were very merchant-lite for a long time on our board. And I think it’s important that we have merchant input because we’re, you know. So I would say for, I would say 80% help.
I would also say sometimes 20% maybe hurt because they aren’t happy with an event. I remember some of the shops that were on the side streets would always really be mad on event days because it killed their business, you know, and which, you know, and even like a Tropical Nights, just for example, it used to be a big shopping event. It’s really changed to more of a, just kind of open house walking around St. Greg, you know, partying in an event, which is totally fine. Not event, it’s for everyone. But I could see where a merchant or someone would get a little grrr because of a main street event, you know, so I get that, you know, so, so I would say 80% awesome. And then, but I also have become, oh, Tracey, I couldn’t make it to the meeting.
Can you tell me what’s going on? Yeah. So, you know, which is fine.
